This season has been a weird one. After taking my first bird of the season in a different county my dad and I focused on some birds closer to home. In this one area there are two longbeards but the problem is there is a group of 6 jakes that have completely taken over the area. I've personally witnessed them run the gobblers off 3 times..if the longbeards come out in the open they don't stay long and aren't saying a word on the roost nor on the ground.
Today was my first hunt since April 1st. My dad wasn't going to hunt this morning so I went to a different spot 5 minutes from the house. The timber had been clearcut a year ago and it's wide open. There's some greenup but not a whole lot. I wasn't expecting much as I haven't seen much sign and the neighbors have been hunting their side of the fence religiously this year.
My hearing is horrible so I went to a spot on an open ridge where I could see about a quarter of a mile. I didn't hear anything at daylight but decided to stay put and see if anything decided to come out into the cutover.
At 7:30 I notice a dark spot south if me at about 400 yards. I picked up my binos and to my surprise it's a gobbler making his way down a ridge. I grabbed my pot call and yelped as loud as I could. He gobbled(couldn't hear him but I could see him going through the motion) and went into full strut. I yelped again and he started making his way sorta in my direction. He flew across a small draw and made his way up another ridge. At 330ish yards he stops and begins to look in my direction. After about 5 minutes I see a hen behind him about 75 yards walking south.
At this point I figure the hunt is over...he's going to follow her and that will be it. But apparently the gobbler was just below the ridge where he couldn't see the hen and she leaves the area. The gobbler stays put...from his position he can see everything between us so I don't call anymore. He proceeds to strut and gobble for the next 30 minutes in the same spot. Finally he moves a little more down the ridge towards me and I feel he's on his way. It takes him about 20 minutes but he finally clears the stand of pine trees the loggers left and he's about 120 yards from me.
Once again the "strut and gobble in place game" continues. This went on for 10 minutes before he moves to my left and disappears off the ridge. I call to him and he doesn't answer...
Twenty minutes go by and I have yet to see or hear him. I'm thinking he's become disinterested and somehow gone away from me in the draw where the standing pines are and has disappeared. At this point I'm feeling dejected and trying to think of what I could've done differently.
All of a sudden I see him at 60 yards walking up the draw that is directly in front of me...instantly I can feel my heart beating in my ears as my adrenaline begins to flow! He continues up the draw, strutting and gobbling, then turns to walk up the hill where he thought the hen should be. At around 30 yards he comes out of his strut and that's when I end it.
I sat there a few minutes in my hiding spot to soak it all in. When I got to the bird I sat down beside him and ran my hand along his back. I thanked him for the show he put on for me and God for allowing me to put my feet on the floor this morning. We are not worthy of His creations but somehow He lets us enjoy them.
I first laid eyes on this bird at 7:30 and pulled the trigger around 9:15. He did everything a gobbler should do..and that's all you can ask for!
Sorry for the long read..hope y'all enjoyed it!
The sandy area way off is where I first saw him
The log I hid behind...the turkey is folded up in the center
The turkey's view..surprised he didn't see me
